


Safe (In My Arms)

by VyxenSkye



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angel Wings, Child Gabriel, Established Relationship, Father Figures, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Kid Fic, M/M, Purring Angels, ignore my bad latin, violence involving a child
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-01
Updated: 2016-02-28
Packaged: 2018-05-17 16:34:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5877880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VyxenSkye/pseuds/VyxenSkye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Castiel appears in their room one day carrying a bundle in his arms, Sam and Dean never expected it to hold a child archangel. Even though they don't know the reasons why Gabriel has been returned to life as a 5 year old fledgling, they accept him into their lives and form bonds with him that are strong. Caring for a kid archangel is something they never thought they'd be doing, but along the way they discover a plan that has been boiling in the dark and a connection between Gabriel and Castiel that is deeper than anyone expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fic I wrote years ago for the Gabriel Big Bang, and I thought 'what the hell, let's post it.' I suppose I'm going to post some of my older stuff up here just for the heck of it, and I thought that this one would be a good start. 
> 
> This story is five parts and a short epilogue, I'll probably post one chapter a week.

Sam Winchester liked to think that he was more prepared than the average person. He knew more than the average person; at least when it came to things that go bump in the night. In the way of preparation, he always had some sort of weapon on his person, a knife, or perhaps a small gun. Even without that weapon, he knew how to defend himself using only his fists and feet.

  
He liked to be prepared.

  
However, he really didn't think that anything could have prepared him for this.

  
It was a normal day for the most part; he and Dean were in Washington State, following the trail of what they knew was a ghoul, which was terrorizing the locals and kidnapping a few younger children. It was something normal and mundane, after the events of the Apocalypse. After that 'clusterfuck,' as Dean still called it, this was almost boring.

  
God had stepped in at the last moment, somehow, although they hadn't seen him. Dean had been kneeling in that cemetery, trying to get the strength to go on, and then suddenly Castiel had been there, Sam standing beside him blinking in the bright sun. The newly restored angel went on to say that God had granted Sam salvation from the Pit for what he had done, and had fully restored Castiel's abilities.

  
So life went on. Dean and Sam drove across the country, hunting down monsters and saving people.

  
Sam was surfing the web quietly, looking for a job that they could move on to after they finished up this one, and Dean was sitting on his bed, guns spread in pieces in front of him as he cleaned and cared for them. Both of them felt the slight shift of air that signaled Castiel was coming, mere seconds before he appeared standing near the window with a gentle sound of feathers moving through the air.

  
The first thing that struck Sam as odd was that the angel wasn't wearing his trench-coat. Castiel never changed his look, and removing the coat was one of those things. He was still in the suit jacket, but the familiar tan shroud was gone from his shoulders. Instead, it was wrapped around a bundle that he cradled in his arms.

  
Dean was the first to speak up, tilting his head slightly in a motion that was strikingly similar to his lover's favorite one. "Cas?"

  
Castiel nodded in greeting to Dean, and then moved to Sam's empty bed and carefully deposited the trench on the covers. Sam rose to his feet, insanely curious by now to see what Castiel had brought with him.

  
Pure shock coursed through him as his eyes settled on the bed.

  
It was a child.

  
A tiny boy, maybe 5 or 6 by the look of him, with a short mop of red-gold hair and pale skin. He was curled in a ball in the wrap of Castiel's coat, sound asleep with a peaceful expression on his familiar features. Long lashes brushed soft child cheeks, and Sam would bet his left arm that those concealed eyes were a warm and mischievous shade of honey.

  
"Gabriel?"

  
Castiel nodded, standing quietly by the bed before sitting and fussing with the boy. It was odd to see the angel doing something like that, but somehow it wasn't an awkward scene. Castiel pulled a pillow from the head of the bed, settling the boy on it and tucking the coat around him gently.

  
"My Father gave him to me. He told me that He had given Gabriel another chance." Castiel murmured softly, his voice quiet in an effort not to wake the slumbering child.

  
Dean crept forward, standing just behind Castiel as he looked down at the boy. Sam could sense Dean's big brother instincts kicking in, even though he no doubt still held some animosity towards Gabriel. "Is he...?"

  
Castiel shook his head, knowing what his mate wished to ask before Dean completed his thought. "No, he is not human. Since he is only a fledgling his body will behave much like a human's while he is on Earth, but he is still an archangel."

  
"So...." Sam put in after a moment. "We have a baby archangel?"

  
"Precisely." Castiel affirmed, his blue eyes flickering to Sam before returning to Gabriel. "My Father has entrusted us with his care until such time that he can be returned to his proper shape."

  
Dean blinked. "God couldn't do that now?"

  
Castiel shrugged, a gesture that he had picked up from Dean. It was still an awkward, stiff sort of motion, but he was starting to get the hang of it. "He would not give me any more information. It is likely that He has some purpose for Gabriel at this age, or some lesson that he must learn."

  
The boy let out a sigh, shifting in his sleep until he was sprawled on his back, pink lips parted as he breathed. Castiel hesitated a moment before reaching out, brushing a hand over the red-gold hair, a gesture so gentle and tender that Sam was startled to see it from the angel, who, until several months ago, had had difficulty cracking a smile.

  
At the touch the child's eyelashes fluttered, and then golden eyes opened to the light. Sam found himself enthralled by those eyes; they were more gold than Gabriel's had ever been, shining with power. But a moment later that endless chasm vanished, and the eyes of a child peered out from the tiny archangel's face. He blinked, body cringing backwards as he realized he didn't know where he was, and then his gaze fell on Castiel.

  
Honey eyes blinked, and suddenly Castiel found himself with an armful of tiny archangel. "Brother!"

  
Castiel looked faintly confused at first, but he put his arms around the boy nevertheless, a hand cradling the back of the small head as Gabriel burrowed into his chest. "Good morning, Gabriel." he said after a moment, and the little archangel leaned back to give him a big smile.

  
Sam couldn't help the smile that crept onto his own face at the brilliant expression on the child's features. It was contagious, and so bright that it was as though he was lighting up the entire room. The happiness that was radiating from Gabriel was astounding; it was nothing like the archangel that Sam remembered, hiding beneath the mask of the snarky Trickster.

  
There was a quiet moment, and then Castiel shifted slightly, looking up towards the Winchesters. "Gabriel, these are my friends Dean and Sam. They're going to be caring for you while I'm away."

  
"You're gonna leave?" Gabriel questioned softly, staring up at him with wide eyes. After a moment the child shifted, hunching down slightly and lowering his head, lifting Castiel's tie and turning it over and over in his hands. It was painfully adorable, the way that Gabriel obviously didn't want Castiel to go. "I dun want you to leave."

  
A soft smile curved Castiel's lips, and he passed his hand over Gabriel's hair. "I will not be gone long, little one. You will like Dean and Sam, and they will take good care of you." Gabriel continued to play with his tie, and with a faint huff of air, Castiel nudged the fledgling gently. "Come now, say hello."

  
Gabriel didn't move for a moment, and then he turned, golden eyes settling first on Dean, and then moving to Sam. "Hullo." he murmured quietly.

  
"There, that wasn't so hard." Castiel said warmly. He waved a hand and a few brightly colored toys appeared on the floor not far away, several dinosaur figurines and what appeared to be some kind of plush. "Why don't you go play while I speak with them?"

  
Gabriel's expression brightened as soon as he saw the toys and he nodded, chirping a "'Kay!" before hopping off of Castiel's lap and plopping down near his new playthings. Castiel watched him with a fond expression on his face for a moment, and then pushed himself to his feet and pulled the Winchester boys to the side.

  
"You're damn good with him, Cas." Dean murmured as they reached the door of the motel room. "I've never seen you act like that before."

  
Castiel turned his blue eyes to Gabriel, watching him as he spoke. "I feel... quite normal, treating him that way. It just came to me."

  
Sam marveled at this. "Some sort of instinct I suppose."

  
"Perhaps." Castiel acknowledged, his eyes staying on Gabriel for only a moment more before he turned his gaze back to Sam and Dean. "There are a few things you must know before I depart. As I stated earlier, because he is a young one, his body has not become accustomed to Earth. He will need food and sleep just like a human child, and he may possibly become ill." This speech was stilted, as though Castiel was figuring out along the way how to explain it in terms Dean and Sam would understand.

  
"Is there anything we should really worry about?" Sam asked after a moment.

  
They all looked over as Gabriel let out a peal of laughter, and the warmth stole over Castiel's face once more. "No, not health-related. Even if he does contract a virus, it will not last long. And I should return before anything occurs." His gaze flashed to Dean's eyes. "What you must remember is that fledglings are very emotional. They have not yet learned to control that portion of themselves, and as such it is very easy to harm them. Trust comes quickly and is absolute, and should they be rejected or their feelings hurt in any way, they will wither and become sickly."

  
Dean blinked in surprise. "Seriously?"

  
Castiel nodded. "It has happened with your human children. Emotional neglect will cause them to fade as well, it simply happens much more quickly with fledglings. They are also very physical, contact is vital to their mental stability."

  
Sam took all of this in stride, as it made sense. Angels were supposed to be beings of purity after all, and what was more pure than the love of a child?

  
"Do you really need to leave?" Dean asked softly, at which Sam took his cue to leave the two of them alone. He turned, going quietly to Gabriel's side before settling himself cross-legged beside the fledgling. Gabriel quieted as Sam came close, peering up at him with large, curious eyes.

  
"What's this, Gabriel?" Sam asked after a moment, reaching out to brush his fingers across the soft stuffed dinosaur.

  
Gabriel glanced towards his hand and then back up to his face. "'S a triceratops."

  
Sam blinked in surprise at Gabriel's knowledge of that word. It was amazing sometimes what children would learn and retain, despite adults thinking that it was too difficult for them. He smiled at the fledgling. "Do you like dinosaurs?" A nod answered him, and Sam continued on. "Is that one your favorite? Mine is the Brachiosaurus."

  
Instantly a brilliant smile spread across Gabriel's little face. "You like that one? He's really really big!" He lifted the triceratops plush, hugging it to his chest. "Triceratops is my favorite, but I like Apatosaurus too!"

  
"Apatosaurus, that one's like the Brachiosaurus isn't it?" Sam asked, letting Gabriel show off his knowledge.

  
Gabriel nodded furiously. "Yea! They're both sau--saro--" he trailed off, his face scrunched up in concentration. The brilliant smile returned only a moment later. "Sauropods!"

  
Sam nodded, allowing a look of understanding to dawn on his face. "That's right! I can't believe I forgot that!"

  
By the time Dean turned around after saying goodbye to Castiel, Sam was sitting with his back against the wall, a dinosaur figurine in one hand and Gabriel sitting in his lap, pointing at the toy and explaining different things as he did. The eldest Winchester smiled slightly, shaking his head fondly as he went to sit on the bed, returning to the task of cleaning their guns.

  
  
*****************

 

Sam sighed, running his hand through his hair before looking over the reports that were in front of him on the computer screen. There were several hunts in the nearby area, and, as much as he thought they should avoid it because Gabriel was with them, there was what seemed to be a particularly nasty spirit close by, judging by the number of strange drownings.

  
He didn't think it would be that bad, it would be just a simple salt and burn. For the most part Gabriel could stay at the hotel with one of them, or perhaps with Castiel if the angel returned soon.

  
He was snapped out of his thoughts at the press of a tiny body against his hip, and he looked down to see brilliant golden eyes staring up at him, a wide smile shining. "Whatcha doin?"

  
Sam couldn't resist the answering smile that spread across his face. Gabriel's joy was infectious; there was no way to be sad around him. "I'm just looking around for a job."

  
Gabriel bounced slightly. "Like a ghost?"

  
"A ghost?" Sam blinked in surprise. "How did you know I was thinking about a spirit?"

  
The little archangel's smile grew mischievous. "I know things."

  
Of course, Gabriel was still an archangel after all. He probably still knew more about anything malicious then they did, even at this age. With another smile, Sam ruffled the fledgling's hair and was rewarded with a bright giggle that warmed his heart.

  
He liked kids, he really did, he'd just never had much of a chance to be around them. He'd wanted to have his own with Jessica, but now he knew that having any kids was pretty much a pipe dream, so he was content to remain with his brother. But this bright little presence that came in the form of a tiny archangel....

  
He could be happy with that.

  
There was a jiggle of the lock, and then Dean came inside, carrying several bags with him. He shut the door behind him and then deposited the bags on the nearest bed, flashing a grin over at his brother and Gabriel. "Hey, you two hungry?"

  
Gabriel instantly perked up at the mention of food, bouncing away from Sam to peer at the bags on the mattress. He avoided the side of the bed with Dean on it, staying nearer to Sam even as he reached out with little hands to explore. It wasn't that he didn't like Dean; he was perfectly okay with the elder Winchester, but he hadn't quite warmed up to him as much as he had Sam.

  
Sam liked to say that they hadn't bonded yet.

  
"Did you think of getting something for Gabriel?" Sam asked, a faint smile on his face as Dean looked up at him with a fake hurt expression plastered across his features.

  
"Of course I did! I got him a kid's meal."

  
Sam raised an eyebrow. "With....?"

  
Dean blinked. "A burger."

  
"Dean..."

  
"Oh come on, the kid's gotta get some decent food while he's down here! What's better than a burger!" As Sam continued to stare at him he raised his hands in defeat. "I got him some fruit too, okay? Is that good enough for you, health-nut?"

  
Sam nodded his satisfaction, rising to his feet and digging through the bags. He turned up a salad for himself and the smaller bag that contained Gabriel's food, going back to the table and clearing his laptop off the surface. Gabriel bounced behind him, plopping into the chair and clapping his hands on the table while Sam put the food in front of him.

  
They ate their own food quietly while they watched Gabriel puzzle briefly over his meal before figuring it out and beginning to eat. His first bite was tentative, but then a look of excitement spread over his features and he moved faster after that.

  
Sam chuckled to himself, inwardly grateful that Gabriel knew what to do in order to eat. Some part of his mind had been worried that they would have to teach him that, but it seemed that he already knew the basics of living as a human. Perhaps he'd ask Castiel about that later.

  
He finished his salad pretty quickly, and then pulled his laptop out once more in order to fill Dean in on what he had found. "I found a hunt close by."

  
Dean looked up from his cheeseburger, tilting his head in a motion nearly exactly like his lover's favorite move. "A hunt? Are you sure we should be thinking about that with...?" he gestured towards Gabriel at this point, who was now happily munching away at his fruit.

  
Sam shrugged one shoulder. "I don't see too much of a problem with it. We can do all the questioning separately so one of us can stay here with Gabe, and, if my hunch is right, it's just a salt and burn. The only part where we'll both need to be there is the actual salting and burning, and hopefully by then Cas will have returned. If not, we can leave him in the car for 5 minutes, I'm sure he'll be fine."

  
The elder Winchester mulled this over for a moment, and then nodded, agreeing with Sam. "That seems like a plan then. What have we got?"

  
"Three of what they're calling 'unexplainable drownings' in the last 2 weeks or so. All of them were in their cars near the lake, and each was found with the car completely filled with water." Sam read off the page in front of him.

  
Dean winced. "Damn. That's a nasty way to go. Any suspects for who might have done it?"

  
Sam nodded, switching to another page. "We've got a death about a month ago, a teenager named Brett Stevens who crashed his car into the lake and drowned. They listed it as an accident, but judging by the pictures of the car they pulled out, I'm not buying that at all. There was also another car of people behind him that called it in. All of the people who've died so far were in that car, and they all died near that same lake."

  
"So you think these kids were somehow responsible for this guy's death?" Dean asked, taking a swig of his soda.

  
"Seems like it. There's 2 more people left from the other car, so I'm thinking the first thing to do would be to go talk to them and see if we can find out exactly what happened that night, so we can make sure this is a malicious spirit and not something else." Sam jotted down a few of the addresses on a piece of paper, holding it out to Dean a moment later.

  
Dean scoffed faintly at this. "I doubt it's anything else with what you've dug up, but yea, we gotta make sure. You got the family's address on here so I can find out where he's buried?" At Sam's nod he set his drink down on the table and went to his bag. "Well then, guess I'd better bring out the suit."

  
"I'll stay here with Gabe." Sam responded. "I'll keep looking around and see if I can find out where he's been buried, and I'll call if I find anything."

  
After changing into his suit Dean left, leaving Sam alone with Gabriel, who was now sitting on the floor and playing with his toys. Sam watched him quietly for a moment, and then noticed that there was a small frown on Gabriel's face.

  
"Hey, why the frown?" Sam asked gently, going to sit beside the child.

  
Gabriel kept his eyes turned down, running his little fingers over his triceratops plush. "That boy is sad. And very mad." He shivered slightly.

  
Sam blinked in surprise when he realized that Gabriel was referring to the spirit that he and Dean had been discussing. He knew that Gabriel was more in tune with the supernatural because of what he was, but he was picking up on the feelings of the ghost? That was certainly not something he'd expected.

  
"Don't be sad." Sam murmured, reaching out to rub a large hand across Gabriel's back. The boy moved towards him at the touch, crawling into his lap and curling up against his chest. Sam wrapped his arms around the warm little body, resting his chin against red-gold hair. "We're going to help him, and then he won't be sad anymore, okay?"

  
Gabriel nodded, pressing himself closer, but not speaking. Sam merely stroked his shoulder, protectiveness blooming in his chest as he held the boy. It made him feel like he could stop anything, to have such a powerful creature depending solely on him for protection.

  
He knew in that moment that no matter what, he would do whatever he had to in order to keep Gabriel safe.

 


	2. Part Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Child endangerment in this chapter, though no serious injuries.

Dean returned several hours later, a triumphant grin on his face and his tie loosened around his neck. "Got it; it's a cemetery about 20 minutes from here. We should be able to take care of it tonight, no worries at all."

  
Sam nodded, though he pressed a finger to his lips to indicate quiet. Dean blinked in confusion, and then spotted the nest on Sam's bed and the mop of red-gold hair that was just visible from under the mound of blankets. He raised an eyebrow, tossing his jacket across his bed and going to sit across from Sam.

  
"Is it normal for kids his age to nap?" Dean asked softly. "You didn't when you were that age."

  
The other man shrugged. "From what I can tell there's nothing wrong with it. Besides, he's an archangel, maybe they still need naps at this age."

  
Dean shrugged and pulled out his laptop, booting it up and contenting himself with surfing the net while their resident angel slept. After about an hour Sam looked up from his screen, meeting Dean's eyes across the tops of their computers. "We're going to have to take Gabriel with us. We can't leave him here by himself."

  
"I know." Dean responded. "I'm not too excited about taking him with us either, but Cas said there was no way to get in contact with him until tomorrow."

  
Sam thought a moment. "We could take care of the spirit tomorrow."

  
Dean shook his head. "Not a good idea. If we wait any longer another one of those kids could die, and we can stop it."

  
The younger man nodded; he knew that Dean was right. Bobby was too far away for them to call him to watch Gabriel, and if Castiel was truly completely out of contact right now, then they had no choice but to take the little archangel with them. As long as they kept the car in sight and had the child lock the doors, there should be no problem.

  
"We'll park the car real close, even if we need to drive out to the grave." Dean said a moment later, agreeing out loud with Sam's thoughts. "I like the idea of him being out in the open with us even less than I like the one of leaving him in the car. At least if he's in there the spirit probably won’t notice him and will keep its focus on us."

  
Sam nodded his agreement. The sun was just beginning to go down, so it wouldn't be long now before they needed to go take care of business. Rising to his feet, the tall man moved to the bed, shaking the mattress in an effort to wake the sleeping child. "Hey Gabe, time to get up."

  
The fledgling let out a rumbling sound and curled tighter into his nest of blankets, but he didn't wake up. Sam's lips tugged in a smile, and Dean let out a faint snort of amusement. Sam pushed at the bed again, and this time there was a shaking motion from the blankets. Gabriel was awake, the little snot, just playing.

  
A wry grin on his face, Sam reached lightning quick into the blankets, finding an ankle and pulling. Gabriel let out a squeal as he was pulled out from the pile of fabric, the sound changing into laughter as Sam swung him upside down now holding both ankles, carefully moving away from the bed slightly so he didn't hit the boy's head.

  
"Are you awake now?" Sam asked loudly, swinging Gabriel back and forth.

  
Gabriel shrieked as he flew through the air, nodding frantically as his little face began to turn red. "I'm awake, I'm awake! Put me down!!!"

  
Sam obliged with a laugh, heaving Gabriel up to throw him onto the pile of blankets, careful to angle him so that his head landed in a cushioned area so it wouldn't hurt him. The fledgling lay there, giggling brightly for a moment before he sat up, his eyes shining with trust and love as he looked at Sam.

  
"What do you think about getting some dinner, huh squirt?" Dean interjected as he came out of the bathroom, having changed back into jeans and a T-shirt.

  
Gabriel looked towards him and nodded, then turned red as his stomach rumbled loudly. Both Winchesters laughed at this, and a smile soon spread across the child's face in response. Sam grabbed his coat, and then frowned as he realized that Gabriel didn't have a coat, just the child's sized jeans and T-shirt he had been wearing when Castiel had brought him to them.

  
"We're gonna have to get Gabe some clothes, Dean, he hasn't got any others." Sam observed, pondering for a moment on what he could do about the jacket problem. It wasn't that cold outside yet, as it was October, but it was still rather chilly out. The only thing they could do right now was bring a few blankets for when Gabriel was in the Impala, and then in the morning they could go shopping for him.

  
Dean nodded. "I thought about that a little while ago, Cas didn't give us any supplies for him. I saw a thrift shop while I was out today, we'll stop by there in the morning."

  
Sam grabbed a few blankets and then took Gabriel by the hand, leading him out of the room and towards the parking lot. Gabriel's eyes were scanning everything around him, wide in wonder as though he had never seen any of this before. Although, Sam thought, he probably hadn't, at least not in this form. Everything was brand new to him.

  
Gabriel made a gasping sound as he saw the Impala, tugging slightly at Sam's hand as he reached out to lay a hand against her smooth black side. Dean couldn't help but grin widely, his chest puffing up with pride as the fledgling stared at his baby with awe in his eyes.

  
The ride to a nearby diner was relatively quiet, Dean humming along with the radio, Gabriel sitting in the back with his face pressed to the glass, watching the world go past with wide eyes. Sam watched him quietly, a faint smile on his lips at the child's simple awe and wonder at the world around him.

  
Once they had all settled in and had their food, Dean a cheeseburger, Sam a grilled chicken sandwich, and Gabriel chicken strips, Sam turned his attention to the coming hunt. "We need to think about what's going to happen if the spirit doesn't keep its attention on us."

  
Dean nodded. "I've been thinking about that too. I've tried calling Cas, but he's not answering, so we've got to figure this out. Keeping Gabe in the car is still the best idea we've got, and as long as he keeps his head down, then he should be fine."

  
"That's true." Sam replied, taking a bite of his sandwich. "We'll be the ones that the spirit is going to go after, since we're trying to get rid of him before he finishes what he wants to."

  
Gabriel suddenly spoke up, making them both look at him. "I'll be okay."

  
Sam blinked, his face serious as he turned to look at the fledgling. "You understand what we need you to do, right Gabriel?"

  
The boy nodded. "Stay down by the floor. That way the angry boy won't see me."

  
Dean grinned. "What were we so worried about, this kid's a genius!"

  
Gabriel's face grew pink and a pleased smile spread across his face, and Sam was happy to see the beginnings of a true bond forming between his brother and their new charge.

  
"I think it's time to get going." Sam said after everyone had finished their dinner. "Let's get this over with."

  
"I agree." Dean said firmly, rising to his feet and pulling a few bills out of his pocket to pay. He left them on the table and started to lead the way out of the diner, looking down in shock as a little hand closed around his first three fingers. His jade eyes met Gabriel's shimmering gold, and the child beamed up at him before looking back towards the door.

  
Dean turned to meet Sam's eyes, and the brothers shared a grin as they headed towards the Impala, already mentally gearing up to take on what could be an unpleasant spirit. Sam spent most of the drive to the cemetery helping Gabriel bundle up in the blankets they had there, mentally cursing the fact that they hadn't thought about the clothes situation sooner.

  
"Alright Gabe, you just stay down, alright?" Sam murmured as Dean stopped the car roughly 20 feet from the grave he knew they needed to unearth. "I'll be watching the entire time, so you'll be safe."

  
The boy smiled at him from where he was settled on the floorboards, trust shining in his golden eyes. "Okay Sammy!"

  
Sam blinked; that was the first time that Gabriel had called him by name. He felt a surge of warmth in his chest, and couldn't resist reaching down to ruffle the fledgling's hair, at which Gabriel giggled softly before going quiet as the Impala's engine died.

  
It was chilly in the graveyard, more-so than it had been earlier. Sam knew it was most likely that the spirit was nearby, watching them and waiting for a chance to strike. Dean started digging, moving as quickly as he could while Sam kept watch, shotgun warm in his hands and at the ready. He kept one eye on the Impala, but there appeared to be no activity near it; it seemed like their plan had worked.

  
A rush of cold air from behind him made Sam turn, and he fired off a round into the torso of a young dark-haired man who had been stalking towards Dean. The spirit vanished as the bullets hit him, and Dean let out a faint huff of air. "I guess that means things are about to get interesting."

  
Sam snorted faintly, swinging his eyes around to look for the spirit once more. A moment later he went flying, letting out a faint cry as he collided with a nearby headstone. Dean's shout brought him back to awareness, and he saw that his brother had climbed out of the grave and had Sam's shotgun, firing at the spirit.

  
There was no thought, only reaction. Sam dived into the hole, digging in Dean's place as his brother reloaded the gun just in time to catch the spirit once more. It was something that they had done time and again, so it was easy enough to switch off positions without even thinking about it.

  
A thunk signaled he had hit the coffin, and Sam went to work opening the lid, which was difficult where he was. A faint laugh from above made him look up, and he saw the spirit standing above him, a smirk on its face as it looked up over his head.

  
Towards the Impala.

  
Sam felt his heart stop, and he heard Dean shout a moment later. The younger Winchester heaved himself out of the grave, and looked at the Impala to see water rising inside the interior, and Gabriel pounding at the window with his fists, his face terrified.

  
Dean was trying to break the driver's window by hitting it with the butt of the shotgun, but the glass wouldn't give. Sam knew that the spirit was holding everything closed; there was no way that they were going to get Gabriel out if he didn't destroy it.

  
Forcing himself to turn away, Sam went back to work on the coffin lid, wrenching it open and pulling the lighter fluid from his pocket, spraying it along the bones. He didn't get a chance to salt them as the spirit appeared in front of him and pushed him backwards and out of the grave.

  
Dean's heart was pounding, his mind racing as he swung the shotgun towards the window with all his strength. The glass didn't budge under his attacks, and his eyes flickered towards the back window. Gabriel was floundering in water that was lapping around his neck, rising rapidly as the fledgling continued to hit at the glass. Cracks spiraled away from two little fists as, despite his age, Gabriel's archangel abilities manifested slightly.

  
Gabriel pounded on the window once more, and then the water closed over his head, leaving him flailing weakly at the liquid around him as panic set in. Dean continued to attack the window, helpless to watch as Gabriel choked, bubbles escaping his lips before his eyes fluttered closed and he went limp. "Sam!" Dean yelled, his voice nearly breaking. "Burn him, Sam!"

  
Salt poured through Sam's fingers as he broke the bag with his nails, throwing it into the grave as his other hand dug for his lighter. The spirit was stalking towards him, anger on his face, and Sam threw the lighter as hard as he could, hoping with all he had that it landed in the grave.

  
There was an unearthly shout, and the spirit went up in flames. Sam was on his feet an instant later, running for the Impala where Dean had just yanked open the rear door, sending water splashing over his legs and on to the ground.

  
Gabriel was limp and unconscious, unmoving against the grass. Dean slung the child over his arm, pounding on his back once, twice, and then Gabriel was coughing, spitting up water and gasping for air. Dean let out a shaky breath, pulling the fledgling closer to his chest while Sam slung off his coat, draping it around the shaking child as he pressed himself into Dean's chest.

  
"You're alright kid, we've got you. You're safe." Dean murmured, and Gabriel clutched even tighter to his leather jacket, his face buried into the man's neck. There was a shudder in the child's body, and then Sam could hear soft sobbing as the boy trembled against Dean's chest.

  
Sam moved closer, trapping Gabriel between their bodies as he slung an arm around Dean's shoulders. His brother shifted, moving to where Gabriel's back was against Sam's chest, fully enclosed in a cocoon of warm flesh. Sam's heart was pounding, the adrenaline beginning to fade away as he realized that they had nearly lost the fledgling.

  
"Let's never do something that stupid again." Dean murmured quietly.

  
Looking over his brother's shoulder, Sam could see the glass of the Impala's rear window, splintered outwards from the points where two little fists had pounded against it. He couldn't help but shiver at the picture that this presented, the desperate fight that Gabriel had just gone through and nearly lost.

  
"Yea..." Sam murmured after a moment. "I vote we wait for Cas to come back before we even leave the hotel again."

  
Dean agreed wholeheartedly, his chest aching as he felt the damp spot spreading on his shirt from Gabriel's tears.

  
He knew in that moment that he would do whatever it took to keep Gabriel safe.

 

***********

 

By the next morning Gabriel had developed a soft, watery sounding wheeze every time he breathed, and Sam was worried. The child had slept peacefully enough, though his eyes had been swollen and his cheeks red from crying. He'd spent most of the night draped across Dean's chest, his head resting on the eldest Winchester's collarbone and one little hand fisted in his T-shirt. He had fallen asleep this way after they'd settled down in their room, and Dean hadn't had the heart to move him.

  
He was still asleep when Castiel finally returned to them around 9 o'clock the next morning, and the angel had immediately gone to Dean's side, one hand reaching out to skim across Gabriel's back.

  
"What happened?" he asked as he stroked the fledgling's back, a frown on his face and concern in his blue eyes.

  
"A bad run in with a spirit." Sam responded. "We thought we had it under control."

  
Dean huffed softly. "We were idiots. We put Gabriel in danger because we were too impatient." He shifted his hand where it was tangled in the boy's soft hair. "And now he's getting sick ‘cause we were too stupid."

  
Castiel hummed softly. "It will be alright, Dean."

  
In that moment Gabriel shifted, frowning before opening his golden eyes. He looked around the room, and when he saw Castiel he pushed himself up from Dean's chest, reaching out to the angel. Castiel instantly gathered the fledgling close to his chest, murmuring softly to him in what Sam recognized to be Latin. This surprised him; he had assumed that angels always spoke Enochian to each other.

  
As Gabriel began to respond, though, he realized that it was much more complicated than that. They were speaking Enochian, mixed with Latin, as well as bits of what Sam believed to be Hebrew. There were other languages scattered in there too, most of them he didn’t recognize, though he caught bits of Italian, Japanese, and French. He doubted that anyone who wasn't an angel would be able to follow the conversation without getting lost.

  
Gabriel curled against Castiel's chest and went still, heaving a sigh before closing his eyes and breathing quietly. There was still a faint wheeze accompanying every breath, but it seemed a little easier. Castiel stroked his shoulder, and a moment later the room suddenly felt a lot smaller as dark wings filled the air. Sam watched in awe as Castiel swept his wings forward, curling the right one around the tiny form pressed to his chest.

  
"Pacem puer meus..." Castiel murmured, his feathers skimming across Gabriel's shoulder. There was a moment of silence, and then a strange sort of humming filled the air, a vibrating sound that Sam could only classify as a purr. It appeared to be coming from Gabriel, and it made Castiel smile faintly before turning his attention back to the humans in the room.

  
Dean was staring at his mate with warm eyes, reaching out a hand to reverently skim his fingers over the black, incandescent feathers. Castiel extended a wing towards him in response, curving it around Dean's body in a way that made Sam feel like he was watching a private moment.

  
There was a peek of color amid the darkness of Castiel's great wings, and Sam couldn't help the faint jump in his chest as he saw that Gabriel's wings were out as well, a tawny color that nearly matched his eyes. Castiel had one hand resting on the upper curve of one little wing and Gabriel's eyes were closed, a smile on his face.

  
"Gabriel told me what happened. You two did what you felt was necessary, and Gabriel understands this. You have not lost his trust." Castiel assured them and Sam could see the tension seep out of Dean's shoulders.

  
"Is he going to be okay?" Sam asked softly, watching as the fledgling burrowed a little closer to Castiel's chest, his face beginning to relax as he started to fall asleep again.

  
Castiel nodded, his fingers stroking absently through tawny feathers. "There is an illness beginning to take hold in his lungs, but it should pass quickly, no more than a day or two. His body is already starting to fight it off."

  
The tension drained out of Sam as it had out of his brother, and it was as though a weight had been lifted from his chest. He slumped slightly in his seat and shared a faint smile with Dean before returning to his laptop. Faintly he heard whispering from the bed, and he glanced over to see Castiel arranging himself so that he was leaning against the headboard, Gabriel now sleeping peacefully against him, little face pressed against the angel's throat.

  
Sam smiled and then looked back to his laptop, sifting through the leads that he had found nearby. Now that Castiel had returned, they could take care of any hunts that needed their attention, but for the most part, he thought that they should avoid it and stay with Gabriel. It seemed as though the little archangel needed them around, and he would rather be here than out on a hunt. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please ignore my bad latin - I got it off of Google translate, and I'm like... 90% certain it's wrong. It's supposed to say 'Peace, my child.'


	3. Part Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I'm a day late guys - my life got sucked into the gloriousness that is Deadpool. I've seen it twice in the last 12 hours :D

About an hour before noon Gabriel woke himself up coughing, the sound wet and uncomfortable. His breathing had worsened slightly, short and wheezing from his chest. The fledgling lay in Castiel's lap, looking quite miserable with the world and occasionally shivering slightly. Castiel periodically murmured to him in various languages, one dark wing curled around him in an attempt to provide warmth.

  
Sam felt a little helpless that he could do nothing to assist, and though he had suggested at some point that they take Gabriel to see a doctor, Castiel told him that it would do no good; by the time they got any medicine that could help the child, the illness would be gone. It was also unlikely that human medication would be able to work through the archangel's immune system.

  
Dean had also been twitchy for those hours, and eventually he had just up and left, saying that he was going for a drive. Sam knew that he just couldn't take it; sitting there watching Gabriel cough and being unable to do anything about it, so he said nothing as Dean left the room. Castiel had watched him go with a fond sort of look on his face, and then returned his attention to the tired fledgling in his arms.

  
Silence reigned in the room, broken only by the occasional bouts of coughing from the child where he was resting against Castiel. Sam quietly researched what illnesses he thought Gabriel might have, listening with half an ear. A moment later there was a soft sound, melodious and lilting as it floated through the air, and Sam looked up in surprise.

  
Castiel had pulled Gabriel up against his chest, the boy’s cheek resting over the angel’s heart, eyes closed in contentment. The soft sound was Castiel singing quietly, the sound rumbling through his chest and throat, soothing and warm. Sam felt peace steal over his senses, a smile spreading across his face as he watched the angel rock back and forth gently, his long fingers stroking over Gabriel’s hair and down his exposed feathers.

  
“Dean was right.” Sam murmured quietly, hoping that Gabriel would be able to fall asleep if they kept quiet.

  
His voice made the singing cut off and Castiel looked up at him, a slightly startled look on his features before he tilted his head slightly. “About what?”

  
The younger Winchester gestured towards them. “About how good you are with him. It’s pretty… amazing to see, I guess. No offense Cas, but you’re not the best at expressing your emotions.”

  
Castiel smiled slightly, his fingers resuming their petting motion as Gabriel coughed softly, starting to drift into sleep. “It is alright Sam, you are correct. I find it very easy to behave this way around Gabriel. I am not certain as to the cause, but it feels very… natural.”

  
“You feel like he’s yours, don’t you?” Sam asked softly, his eyes softening as he watched Gabriel moan quietly, eyebrows twitching together, and Castiel made that strange purring sound, sweeping his longer feathers across the fledgling’s back between his drooping wings in a comforting motion.

  
“I believe that would be the most accurate description.” Castiel responded quietly, a smile on his features.

  
The moment was broken as Dean opened the door a triumphant sort of look on his face. “We should go to Bobby’s place, lay low for a while so Gabe can get better.”

  
Castiel looked up at him, rubbing a hand across Gabriel’s back as the fledgling blinked open tired eyes. Sam felt a pang of sadness; he could tell that the child was exhausted, but he just couldn’t seem to fall asleep now that he had woken up. Judging by this and the other symptoms, it seemed that Gabriel had caught pneumonia, which was worrying. This was a rather serious illness, but Castiel kept assuring them that the boy would be okay.

  
“Bobby’s would be a good place to go.” Sam murmured thoughtfully. “Besides, it’s been a while since we’ve seen him, and I think he’d like Gabriel like this.”

  
Dean snorted. “It would be interesting to see how he even acts with the kid, let alone whether or not he’ll like him. I can’t imagine Bobby dealing with kids.”

  
Castiel huffed softly as he rose to his feet, brushing his wings briefly over Gabriel in a soothing motion before he folded them away and out of sight. He murmured softly to the child, that odd mix of languages, and after a moment Gabriel’s tawny wings folded away from sight. Sam frowned as he saw the fledgling’s eyes flicker closed, his features drawn and pale, and he felt concern rise in his gut.

  
Before he could even voice his worry Castiel smiled slightly at him, though his eyes were also sad. “Containing his wings is second nature when healthy, but while he is ill it is taking unnecessary energy from him that could be used to heal. He will be alright.” The angel turned his smile to his mate. “It was a good idea to take him to Bobby’s; there will be no worry of his being seen there, and he can devote all his energy to healing.”

  
Sam felt the knot ease, and he nodded his understanding before beginning to pack up his laptop and make sure that all of their clothes and other things were ready to go. Dean slung his own full bag over his shoulder, one hand settling at the small of Castiel’s back as he moved to stand beside the angel.

  
“Could you fly him there?” Sam asked as they left the room. “It would be a lot faster and that way he could let his wings out sooner.”

  
Castiel shook his head, settling Gabriel in the backseat of the Impala before sliding in beside him. The fledgling made a soft sound and pulled himself into Castiel’s lap, heaving a sigh before going still, his breath still wheezing softly in his chest. Castiel’s expression was warm as he threaded his fingers through the child’s red-gold hair, trying to soothe him.

  
“It would not be wise in his condition. The shock of moving that quickly would be detrimental, it is better to simply ride with you and Dean in the Impala.” A smile flickered across his features. “We are not far from Bobby’s home. Don’t worry Sam.”

  
Sam couldn’t help the faint blush that moved across his cheeks, and he turned his attention back out the front window as Dean returned from checking them out of their room. The oldest Winchester slung himself into the Impala’s driver seat, looking back to check on his lover and their archangel charge before starting the car.

  
The drive was fairly quiet, broken only by the coughing from the child in the backseat. Castiel spent most of the time purring quietly to try and calm the boy, who was clearly exhausted and in pain, but hadn’t really made a sound in complaint. Judging by the fact that Castiel seemed to keep producing tissues and a handkerchief from somewhere in his voluminous coat, the child was coughing up something.

  
Bobby’s house came into view after about 3 hours of driving, and by this point Gabriel had managed to fall asleep, though it was rough and not very restful. The fledgling kept coughing, trembling where he was draped across Castiel’s lap.

  
They were greeted at the door by the older hunter, and Bobby blinked in surprise as he saw Castiel standing behind the Winchester boys, cradling a coughing child. “Well this is a shock. What did you boys do now?”

  
“Hey, this time it’s not our fault, blame this one on the big man.” Dean replied as he moved past Bobby and into the house.

  
Bobby raised a brow in response to that, but he moved aside to allow Sam and Castiel inside. The angel immediately went to the couch, carefully settling Gabriel on the cushions. Sam watched curiously as he set his hand on the fledgling’s back between his shoulder blades, closing his eyes for a moment. Gabriel let out a sigh, his features relaxing a moment before his tawny wings spread out behind him, fluttering briefly before folding against his back.

  
Castiel began stroking the feathers as Gabriel shifted to snuggle into his lap once more, and Bobby crossed his arms, a faint smile on his face. “Well ain’t that somethin’. Who’s that little one?”

  
“Gabriel.” Sam explained. “Cas told us that God shrunk him for some reason, though we don’t know why. We get to take care of him until he’s turned back.”

  
Bobby snorted at that. “God needs to look for better babysitters; you boys can hardly handle yourselves, let alone a kid archangel.” He shrugged as he turned towards the kitchen. “Make yourselves at home.”

  
Castiel smiled, nodding towards the elder hunter as he walked past. “Thank you Bobby.”

  
“I think I owe you that much, son. You just get that boy feeling better.” Bobby replied, sparing a smile for the blue-eyed angel.

 

***********

  
  
They had thought it best to give the child his own room where Castiel could care for him and so that he wouldn’t wake anyone during the night with his coughing. Even though this left Sam sleeping on a futon in Dean’s room, they were both fine with the situation.

  
Gabriel spent much of his time trying to sleep, as he had trouble getting to sleep at all and the rest would help him heal. During the day he lay around the house, resting with the people that he had bonded with. The TV was a quiet background to almost everything, and Gabriel watched it while laying in Castiel's lap, the angel's fingers running through his hair and feathers.

  
Occasionally Gabriel moved around between them, his head sometimes resting on Dean's thigh while the eldest Winchester watched Dr. Sexy MD (and denied doing so if anyone else entered the room), letting one hand rest soothingly on the child's back.

  
Though Castiel was his favorite, Gabriel also liked to spend a lot of his time sleeping quietly in Sam's lap. He had bonded with the tall man first, and he still held a strong connection to him. Sam found it funny and endearing when Gabriel first wandered up to him and plopped down in his lap. It hadn't taken but a moment before the little archangel had shoved a wing beneath Sam's hand, begging for pets with pressing touches from soft feathers. Castiel had watched this with a smile and sparkling eyes, leaning against Dean's side while his mate chuckled warmly.

  
What made Sam laugh the most though, was Gabriel's interaction with Bobby. The old hunter had regarded the fledgling with a fond sort of tolerance, but over the next few days Sam, Dean and Castiel watched Gabriel worm his way into Bobby's heart. Halfway through the second day Sam lost track of the tiny archangel, and found him in the book room with Bobby, draped across the elder hunter's lap purring contentedly while Bobby read out loud to him from some old, leather-bound book. When the fledgling stopped to cough Bobby would cease reading, watch him quietly to make sure that he was okay, sometimes patting his back gently, and then continue once Gabriel went back to his loud, happy purring.

  
It took nearly two days for the sickness to work its way out of Gabriel’s system, but on the morning of their third day at Bobby’s home, it was obvious that the child was well once more. Sam woke up that morning and left the room that he had been sharing with Dean, heading towards what was usually his room at Bobby’s, where Castiel had been staying with Gabriel.

  
Sam found Castiel sitting in the chair in the corner of the bedroom where Gabriel had been sleeping, reading quietly. The angel looked up as Sam opened the door, sparing him a smile before returning to his book. Sam returned the smile and then went to the bed, his smile widening and growing fond as he found Gabriel sprawled out across the mattress.

  
The child was stretched over the bed as much as he could, arms, legs, and tawny wings extended to take up almost all of the space he had. Sam couldn’t help but laugh softly at this, his mental image of a cat expanding to fill up whatever space they had decided was theirs. Moving forward, the younger Winchester sat on the bed, placing his hand between the boy’s outspread wings, pleased to find that the faint wheezing rattle that had been present for the last few days was gone.

  
“When did he finally get to sleep?” Sam asked softly, keeping his voice low so he wouldn’t wake the boy, who appeared to be getting his first restful sleep of the last few days.

  
Castiel lowered his book, blue eyes traveling to meet Sam’s. “It was 3:23 am when I noticed that the illness had fully left his body. He has been sleeping since that time.” The angel’s gaze grew soft as he looked to the sleeping archangel. “He should wake before long, and then he will need to eat.”

  
Sam nodded in agreement. “He hasn’t really eaten properly in the last few days. I’ll go ahead and get breakfast started.”

  
“I will bring him downstairs.” Castiel responded, placing his bookmark inside the pages of the book on his lap.

  
Dean wandered downstairs when the smell of bacon and eggs filled the house, snatching a piece of bacon from the plate that Sam had been piling them on. His younger brother flashed him an affectionate glare, but said nothing at the answering grin he got.

  
The next person to enter the room was Castiel, carrying Gabriel against his chest. The boy was draped over the angel, his arms over Castiel’s shoulders and his face buried against the angel’s warm throat. Sam couldn’t help but chuckle faintly when Castiel tried to set the child down and Gabriel responded by latching onto him even tighter.

  
Castiel murmured to the boy, and a moment later golden eyes turned to Sam, and then a brilliant smile spread across the fledgling’s face.  
“Sammy!”

  
Castiel couldn’t contain him a moment longer, and Sam had to brace himself as he was hit in the midsection and little arms wrapped tightly around his middle. Sam laughed, one large hand going to the fledgling’s head, stroking through the red-gold hair. “Hey Gabriel.”

  
Gabriel flashed a brilliant smile up at him, opening his mouth to say something. He was interrupted by his own stomach as it growled loudly, and the fledgling blushed while Sam laughed. The boy let out a squeal a second later as he was snatched up by Dean, who swung the child upside down from his shoulder.

  
“I think we’ve got us a bear in here!” Dean exclaimed, drumming on Gabriel’s bare stomach as the fledgling giggled madly.

  
Castiel gave one of his rare chuckles at that, his eyes shining with affection as he watched his mate with Gabriel. Sam could really see the connection that the angel had to the child, and it was amusing and endearing to see the way that he was always keeping an eye on the boy, no matter where he was. A part of Sam wondered what Castiel was going to do when Gabriel was returned to his proper size.

  
Sam deposited a plate of food on the table, while Dean placed the archangel in the chair with a smile. Gabriel grinned happily before digging in, making sounds of appreciation as he chewed his way through bacon.

  
“Kid knows the good stuff.” Dean said approvingly, ruffling the fledgling’s hair before loading himself up a plate. Sam put a bowl of quartered apples next to the plate that Gabriel was happily feasting from, ignoring his brother when he made a face. It didn’t make any difference to Gabriel; the child scooped up a piece of apple and crunched on it before continuing with his eggs. Castiel nodded in approval of this addition.

  
The family ate quietly for a few moments, and then Castiel passed a tender hand over Gabriel’s hair. “How would you like to practice flying today, Gabriel?”

  
A gasp answered him, and wide golden eyes turned to the angel. “Really?.!” Gabriel exclaimed, a wide smile instantly spreading across his face while his visible wings flicked in excitement.

  
“Yes. I believe that it would be safe to do so while at Bobby’s home.” Castiel replied with a warm smile, blue eyes dancing faintly as he watched his fledgling’s face light up at those words.

  
Gabriel let out a cheer of happiness, almost immediately jumping up from the chair and running towards the back door that they could just see from the table. With a slight shake of the head Castiel rose to follow him, and after a moment Sam went after them, curious to see the angels in flight.

  
Bobby, who had been watching this all with raised eyebrows and a sort of fond smile on his face that made Sam think he was remembering the Winchesters when they were this age, snorted faintly and rose from his chair. "This I gotta see."

  
“I don’t think Cas meant this minute.” Dean said fondly as he followed his brother and foster father out into the backyard, his eyes following the movements of his mate as the angel shed his trench-coat and released his great dark wings.

  
Castiel shook out his feathers in the sun and then lifted Gabriel into his arms, easily settling the boy against his hip. The little archangel was already stretching out his wings, a look of excited determination on his features as Castiel took them into the air with one powerful down-stroke. Sam blinked curiously, and then realized what the angel was doing when he threw Gabriel upwards.

  
The fledgling let out a shriek of surprise and excitement, flapping his little wings as hard as he could. It was obvious that he had done some sort of practicing before; he managed to stay airborne for nearly 20 seconds before his wings faltered and he fell back into Castiel’s waiting arms. The angel rose a little higher and then threw Gabriel again, heaving him even higher into the sky.

  
Sam felt a flush of warmth in his body as he watched Gabriel flap his wings, rising on his own before falling down once more. This was obviously a ritual that was undertaken with all young angels, something that he had never really thought about before. He had assumed that all angels were born with the knowledge that they needed, as well as born fully grown. The interaction between Gabriel and Castiel proved that wrong, at least on some level.

  
Dean and Bobby settled beside him on the chairs on the back porch, and the three of them were content to watch the angels fly through the blue sky. Gabriel’s happy giggles and shouts were good background noise, and it made them feel like they had some sort of a family; a home.

  
Sam loved every moment of it.

*************

The flight practice ended with the four adults sitting quietly under the shade of the back porch, Gabriel sleeping quietly in Castiel’s lap. The angel was petting the child’s feathers, smoothing them back into place from the ruffled state they had gotten into from his botched flying attempts.

  
Sam couldn’t resist asking questions any longer, and he turned slightly to face Castiel. “Since he’s an archangel, shouldn’t he have… I don’t know, more than one set of wings? I remember Zachariah mentioning that he had six in Heaven.”

  
Castiel smiled slightly, a faint huff of air accompanying the gesture. “He would keep that many visible. The amount of wings that they have is dependent upon the rank of the angel. I am a lower level of Seraph, and those of my rank have only one pair. Higher orders of Seraph have several pairs, but most choose only to manifest one. Archangels have the most, up to several hundred.”

  
“Hundred?” Dean asked incredulously. “That seems a little… much.”

  
Bobby scoffed at that. "Boy, if you'd actually paid attention to any of the reading I've given you over the years, you would know that's less than humans think they have. I've read that archangels have thousands of wings."

  
At that Castiel gave a patient sort of smile, his 'ah, humans and their strange ideas' expression. “It is common for archangels to only manifest three pairs. The more pairs an angel has, the more power they appear to possess. It is likely that Zachariah kept three pairs manifested in an attempt to intimidate the younger angels. He was… ‘overcompensating,’ as you would say, Dean. It would have been tiring for him; the more pairs visible, the more energy it takes. It is said that Michael and the Morningstar preferred to have three pairs, while Gabriel and Raphael had two.” Castiel explained while lifting Gabriel’s left wing to get at the under feathers.

  
Sam nodded, absorbing all this information eagerly. It wasn’t every day that they got to learn more about angels, and the fact that Castiel was willingly talking about it was a great opportunity. “So why doesn’t Gabriel have two out?”

  
Castiel glanced up to meet the younger Winchester’s eyes and then went back to his grooming of Gabriel’s tawny feathers. “He is young, in angel reckoning. It will most likely be several years before he can manifest the second pair without it significantly tiring him, at least on the Earthly plane.”

  
“That makes sense.” Sam murmured, mostly to himself. He fell quiet as Gabriel let out a contented noise, stretching his wing into Castiel’s touch. As that signature purring sound filled the air Sam tilted his head slightly. “What’s that sound?”

  
There was a moment of silence as Castiel seemed to consider how to respond, and then he spoke. “The most accurate way I can describe it is a purr not unlike that of cats. It is a… vibration of our Grace, a sound that we use to communicate content and comfort.”

  
“I think it’s hilarious.” Dean said with a faint snort. “You guys are like giant cats. You even purr when someone pets you.”

  
"Damn angels..." Bobby grumped from his seat, though his expression was fond.

  
Sam couldn’t help but snort at that as Castiel gave a fond, exasperated sort of look to both Bobby and his mate. Gabriel napped on, completely oblivious to the conversation and laughs going on above him.

  
A part of Sam wished this moment could go on forever.

  
Unfortunately, life doesn’t work out that way.


	4. Part Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm so sorry that I missed last week on this one - life exploded a little bit at work, and then I got sick, and I completely spaced it. By the time I remembered it was Friday, so I figured I'd just hang around until today, and give you what was left! Hope that makes up for it!
> 
> Warning: This chapter contains harm to a child - I'll put a note in the beginning of next chapter if that bothers you. Stop when you see 'Hello little angel, it's time to come with me." and then pick up at the next set of these '*************'

While the break at Bobby’s house was earned and enjoyed, it was time for them to move on and leave the elder hunter alone in his home. They left his house not long after Gabriel was well once more, heading after a possible werewolf in Colorado.

  
The drive was just short enough that they didn’t need to stop halfway, although Sam had to take over driving just before they hit the border of Colorado. Dean slept in the backseat while Castiel took his place in the passenger’s seat, Gabriel sitting between Sam and the angel. The fledgling stayed awake just to stare out the windows, his eyes wide as the landscape flew past them. He finally fell asleep not long after 11 pm, his feet resting in Sam’s lap and his head on Castiel’s thigh.

  
Not long after they passed into Littleton, where the supernatural activity was taking place, Sam chose a hotel for them to stop at. It was a fairly nice place called Extended Stay America Hotel, though it was cheap enough that they could afford it for the few nights that they would be here. Dean dropped his bag on one of the queen beds and flopped down as soon as they entered, trusting Sam to ward the room.

  
Castiel watched him fondly, carrying Gabriel in his arms and settling the child into the bed with the eldest Winchester. Dean cracked open an eye as his lover lay the fledgling against the mattress, and then rested a large hand on the boy’s chest before seemingly going back to sleep. Sam recognized this as Dean’s protectiveness coming through, and he spared a smile before pulling a container of rock salt out of his bag.

  
It took only moments for Sam and Castiel to ward the room, laying down salt lines and a few sigils that would keep them well protected. It was then that Sam collapsed into the other bed, and Castiel settled into the chair near the table, pulling a book from Dean’s bag and going still.

  
Sam slept soundly, knowing that they had an angel watching over them.

 

*************

 

“Turn here, Dean.”

  
The two men turn and look at Castiel, who is staring out the windshield with an intense look on his face. Sam frowned, momentarily glancing down at Gabriel as the boy walked one of his dinosaur figurines across his arm before returning his gaze back to the angel in the front seat.

  
Dean didn’t question the command, merely did as Castiel asked. Silence fell for a time, and then Sam finally decided to ask. “What’s going on, Cas?”

  
“We’re being followed.”

  
Immediately the atmosphere grew tense and thick, and Gabriel glanced up from his toys with wide eyes as he sensed the change in the air. Sam brushed a hand over his hair to calm him, but it didn’t do much for either of them.

  
His knuckles white on the steering wheel, Dean glanced in the rearview mirror. There was another car behind them, but it was so far behind the Impala that there was no way to tell what it was. Dean’s hands tightened, but he didn’t say anything, merely followed Castiel’s instructions as he led them across the roads.

  
“Where are we going, Cas?” Dean asked quietly after about a half an hour of driving.

  
The angel glanced towards the backseat where Gabriel had gone back to playing quietly on the floorboards. “There is a warehouse not far from here where I believe we can shake off our pursuers. We should be able to defeat them without much trouble.”

  
“Do you know who they are?” Sam asked.

  
Castiel shook his head. “Not exactly. There are at least 5 demons, one of higher power. I will be able to handle him.”

  
Dean shoulders shifted slightly, a tense motion that Sam easily recognized from the hundreds of times that he had seen it before when Dean was preparing for a battle. He kept his body carefully relaxed so he wouldn’t alert Gabriel, who had his back resting against the younger Winchester’s shins. They drove quietly, Castiel occasionally telling them which direction to drive or where to go. The entire time they noticed that the car behind them kept pace, just far enough behind that a normal person wouldn’t think much of it, but close enough that it made them all nervous.

  
As they drew closer to wherever Castiel was leading them, the car got nearer to them. Gabriel had begun to pick up on the tension in the car and as a result was now staring quietly towards the windshield. He had clambered up onto the seat not long after the announcement of their pursuers and had pressed himself against Sam’s side, one tiny hand wrapped in the fabric of the tall man’s shirt.

  
As soon as they slid to a stop in front of the dark warehouse Dean and Castiel were out, Sam pressing Gabriel down towards the floorboards and drawing the demon knife from where it rested beneath the driver’s seat. The tiny archangel followed without protesting, his face grim and his body tense as he hunkered down against the floor.

  
Castiel slung off his trench coat without any prompting, wrapping it in a bundle in his arms in an attempt to make the demons believe that he was carrying Gabriel. Sam leapt out of the Impala, flipping the knife in his hand as the demons' car pulled to a stop and 5 men exited. Seeing the shape that Castiel cradled in his arms, 3 of them went after the angel and Dean, while the other two moved after Sam.

  
It seemed as though their plan had worked somewhat, and Dean and Castiel moved into the warehouse where they would be able to use the darkness of the building to their advantage and try to take the demons by surprise. Sam was easily able to take on the two demons heading for him, blocking an attack as Dean and Castiel entered the warehouse.

  
The moment that they stepped inside, however, Castiel let out a shout as there was a glow of sigils around them. Dean swore loudly and violently, instantly realizing that they hadn’t been followed, they had been herded. He turned and aimed for the door, getting to it just as the demons slammed it shut and held him in.

  
Sam swore as well when he saw the gleam of the sigils and the two demons he had been fighting became four. He managed to fight one of them off, the blade slamming to the hilt in the demon’s chest, but at that moment he looked around and saw that another demon had yanked open the door to the Impala.

  
Gabriel’s golden eyes widened and he shrank backwards, his wings flaring up and out in an instinctual reaction to ready himself for flight. The demon smiled widely at him, black eyes flashing in the dark. “Hello little angel. It’s time to come with me.”

  
The archangel hissed at him, his feathers puffing out as he tried to scramble away from the reaching demon. One ankle was caught in the demon’s grasp and with a cry Gabriel was pulled out of the car, hanging from the demon’s grip and fighting with all he was worth.

  
Sam slashed the knife towards the final demon that was walking towards him, just managing to miss its throat. The demon chuckled darkly and then raised a hand, flinging Sam backwards so his head thudded against the ground. After a moment of being dazed, the Winchester began to struggle, but nothing he did seemed to make a difference.

  
Another demon came up behind Gabriel as the archangel fought the grip he was held in, trying to reach for Gabriel’s wrist to restrain him further. Letting out a sharp cry the fledgling thrashed a wing backwards, managing to hit the demon in the face with a solid blow that made him stumble before regaining his footing and glaring at the child.

  
“You little shit!” the man growled out, his hand lashing forward and wrapping strong fingers around Gabriel’s left wing. He dug his fingers into the sensitive skin and feathers, and then twisted as hard as he could.

  
The sound that escaped Gabriel’s lips made the windows on the Impala rattle.

  
Sam let out a shout of anger, fighting against the demon that was holding him back. This had to be the more powerful demon that Castiel had mentioned, it seemed to have no trouble holding him against the ground, a wicked smile on its face as it watched the Winchester struggle.

  
Gabriel hung limply, trembling faintly and his eyes wide with shock. The pain had taken all thought and movement from him; he could barely breathe.

  
With a growl of anger the demon holding Gabriel by his ankle swung him up and towards the Impala. There was a tremendous thud and the metal of the Impala dented inwards, and Sam let out a sharp cry. Simultaneously the all the glass in the nearby building shattered, showering them with broken pieces as Castiel roared his anger from within the warehouse, his true Voice only just contained for Dean's safety.

  
Sam struggled harder as he saw Gabriel’s eyes roll back into his skull and his body fall completely limp, tawny wings trailing down into the mud beneath him. The demon laughed and then slung the archangel over his shoulder, turning to walk away without sparing a single glance behind him. The last thing Sam saw was a fist flying towards his face, and then everything went black.

 

******

 

The darkness melted away to show Dean’s viridian eyes gleaming above him. “Gabriel!” he immediately demanded. “What happened to Gabriel?.!”

  
“They took him…” Sam choked out, his head still spinning. “They were after him the whole time…”

  
Castiel’s eyes grew wide, the worried lines of his face turning to true understanding as he realized that what he suspected was true. “No…”

  
“He’s gone.”


	5. Part Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As for what happened, if you skipped the end bit of the last chapter - The demon dragged Gabriel from the car by his ankle, and Gabriel reacted by flailing a bit and got him with a wing. The demon was angry, grabbing him by the wing and twisting it, then slamming him against the Impala to knock him out. 
> 
> Warning for this one - some blood, child in distress, though no serious injuries.

Castiel was all grim anger as they drove as fast as they could through the night. Sam was draped in the backseat, trying to ease the ache that was still pounding inside his skull. He could almost feel Castiel shaking with anger in the front seat, and he could see that the angel’s hands were fisted on his knees, his knuckles white.

  
“You’re sure you can find him?” Dean asked tensely, glancing towards Castiel before focusing back on the road.

  
The angel nodded. “I can sense him. Gabriel and I have bonded enough that I can feel his Grace quite easily. We are headed in the correct direction, Dean.”

  
Dean didn’t question him anymore, merely nodded and focused his entire mind on driving, following the occasional directions from his mate. Sam was quiet for a long moment, and then he decided to approach the subject that was hanging heavily in the air. “What do they want him for?”

  
“I believe that I know the answer to that one.” Castiel answered after a moment, his voice quiet and laden with so much emotion that it made something inside Sam twist in sympathy for what the angel had to be feeling. “There is an old spell, one that not many of us know about. It says that if you sacrifice an archangel and spill all its blood upon an altar for Lucifer, the Cage will be opened.”

  
Instantly Dean’s spine grew ramrod straight, his hands tightening on the wheel of the Impala. “They’re going to sacrifice a child?”

  
Sam felt his heart clench in his chest. “It would make no difference to them.” he murmured, his voice pained. “It’s even the smarter choice; Gabriel is young so he doesn’t have access to all his powers. This makes him a lot easier for them to capture and hold.”

  
His brother swore under his breath. “Are we close, Cas?”

  
Silence.

  
“Are we close?.!”

  
“We are approximately 573 miles away from him.”

  
Sam’s eyes widened in shock. “We’re never going to make it in time. Not if we drive.”

  
Dean swore again, thumping a hand against the steering wheel. “Cas, you’ve got to take us closer.”

  
“I am… unsure that I can transport the car as well.” Castiel admitted after a moment.

  
“Then leave it here.” Dean said without hesitation, already looking for a spot where they could pull off the road and leave the Impala safely. Sam nodded his agreement, already double-checking that the demon knife was on his person and ready for the upcoming fight. They would have to give all they had to get Gabriel back, and Sam had no trouble giving all of that and more in order to get the archangel back to the safety of their arms.

 

**********

 

It took Castiel two trips to get them both across the country. Though he was once again connected to the power of the Host, his mind and Grace were in such an angry disarray that he couldn’t properly focus, and he had ended up missing his target. They finally appeared outside of an abandoned church, surrounded by nothing but miles of empty land.

  
As soon as they landed Castiel stumbled, his blue eyes wide as he stared towards the church’s crumbling walls and drooping roof. “No…”

  
Dean was instantly at his side, an arm looped under Castiel’s to hold him up. “What is it, what’s wrong?”

  
“It is Belial. I can sense him now that we are close. Belial is the one that took Gabriel from us.” Castiel forced out, his voice breathless as he forced himself back into a standing position.

  
“Belial?” Sam asked, his voice shaking despite his attempt to keep it steady. “As in… one of the Princes of Hell, Belial?”

  
Castiel nodded tersely. “Yes. This will be…”

  
“Next to impossible.” Dean supplied, rolling his shoulders before looking towards the church with a grim smile on his face. “Shall we then?”

  
Sam nodded, clapping a hand on Castiel’s shoulder and giving him a smiling nod. “Let’s go get our fledgling back.”

  
Castiel smiled back, and then squared his shoulders and led the way into the church.

 

**************

 

As soon as they entered, every single one of them felt the clenching in their chests as their hearts nearly stopped. The moment the doors cracked open in front of them they could hear the frightened sobbing of a child, as well as the cries of several words in different languages. One word that was being repeated over and over was ‘abba,’ a word that neither Winchester recognized, but instantly made Castiel suck in a breath, his eyes growing wide.

  
“Cas?” Dean asked softly.

  
“Father.” the angel forced out. “He is calling for our Father.”

  
As they moved into the large church they instantly caught sight of the 8 demons standing near the front. There was a raised altar and a great stone table on it, and Gabriel was strapped across it. His wings were spread wide and tied to the ground, his wrists and ankles chained together and secured at opposite ends of the table. His little face was covered in tears, and as they ran into the church he turned and looked at them, letting out an inarticulate cry.

  
Sam and Dean spared no moment and went straight after the demons that were guarding the child, leaving Castiel with a free path straight to the altar. He hesitated, knowing that even though he couldn’t sense Belial, the Demon was close. Moving carefully, he ran forward past where Sam and Dean were holding their own against the demons, his senses spread out as far as they could go in an attempt to discover where Belial was hiding.

  
The sense of the powerful Demon was almost overwhelming; it was like he was everywhere at once. Castiel struggled to narrows his focus, to locate the Demon, his blue eyes locked with Gabriel’s as he got close to the altar. The little archangel had his head turned to he could focus on his protector, and as Castiel got closer those golden eyes suddenly widened.

  
“Abba!”

  
The shock momentarily stunned Castiel, and a moment later a force slammed into his back between his shoulder blades, knocking him to the ground with a grunt. The angel was struggling the moment he hit the floor, and he heard the nasty laughter in his ear.

  
“Well now, this comes as no surprise. I knew that you would come for the angel-child, even though you no doubt knew this was a trap.”

  
Castiel narrowed his eyes, pushing upwards and managing to throw the Demon off of his back and into the rows of seats. As he stood he met the dead white gaze of the Demon that stood across from him, brushing at the expensive suit his vessel wore. “Belial.” Castiel growled, clenching his hands into fists.

  
The Demon raised a brow. “I find myself impressed that you know me. Not many of the younger angels knew of my existence at all. Your God does so like to keep us hidden away.” He smiled once more, turning towards Gabriel.

  
Suddenly he was there at the altar, wrapping a hand in Gabriel’s matted red-gold hair and raising the boy’s head from the stone, a knife against the fluttering pulse. “Shall I kill the boy while you watch? My Lord will be pleased when he arrives and I offer him not only the blood of an archangel, but that of another angel so that he may take his pleasure from it.”

  
His eyes moved towards where Sam had just dispatched his final demon and had turned to help his brother. “And what’s this? The true vessel? My Lord will be pleased indeed…”

  
Castiel’s eyes glimmered with Grace and his wings burst from his vessel to flare over his shoulders, storm clouds behind him. “Take your hands off of my fledgling.”

  
Belial raised a brow once more. “Your fledgling? Isn’t this a treat.”

  
A stuttered cry escaped Gabriel and a line of red traced the curve of his throat, tears flowing down his cheeks as he watched Castiel. Even in this moment, he stared at the angel with such love and trust that it made Castiel’s human heart feel as though it was breaking and his Grace weep to see.

  
“Get your hands off of him!” Castiel roared, throwing himself forward and sweeping a wing forward to knock the Demon away from Gabriel. Caught momentarily off guard, the tactic worked and the knife flew away from Gabriel’s throat, clattering to the ground beside the altar. Gabriel sobbed for air as his head thunked back against the stone, and Castiel grappled for the upper hand against one of the Princes of Hell.

  
Already the angel was frantically running through plans in his mind, trying to think of a way that they could possibly get rid of Belial. He wasn’t strong enough to exorcise the Demon on his own; he would need at least one other angel in order to do that, or an archangel to do it alone. It was possible that he would be able to summon help, but not in the time that he had. The demon knife would do no good, as it had with Alistair; Belial was too powerful to be fully stopped by its power.

  
There was a chance; if Sam and Dean could hold him for just a moment, Castiel could draw a devil’s trap that would hold him just long enough for help to arrive. The issue would be keeping the Prince of Hell still long enough for this to be accomplished.

  
The final scream of one of the demons behind them made Castiel grit his teeth, knowing that this was the time to get moving. He reached for Dean through their link, pressing the plan into his mate’s thoughts and willing him to fully understand through their yet immature bond. To his great joy Dean was at his side a moment later, Sam at the other.

  
With a great heave, the two Winchesters managed to pull Belial off of Castiel, Sam slashing the demon knife near his throat. While this wouldn’t kill the Demon, it would significantly slow him down if his vessel was bleeding out. Belial was forced to move backwards in order to preserve the body he was contained within, and Castiel took his chance to begin the seals he needed.

  
Reaching with his power, the seals began to carve themselves in the very stone of the floor they stood upon, moving against the walls as it did so it encompassed the entire church. Castiel braced himself as his power flowed out of him, the spell draining him. Sam’s gasping cry for air made him look up, and he heard Dean shout his brother’s name just before he was cut off as he hit the wall and fell to the floor, dazed and near unconsciousness.

  
A hand wrapped around Castiel’s throat and he choked, his hand fisting around the Demon’s wrist as he began to struggle. The just barely uncompleted spell had taken his strength; he could not fight the grip that held him.

  
“Now, now, little angel, you can’t contain me that easily. You actually thought that this measly devil’s trap would be enough to hold me?” Belial purred, his power reaching deep within Castiel and beginning to hack at the ties he held to Jimmy’s form.

  
Castiel could feel his Grace being pulled, tugged away from the body that he struggled to remain inside. It was excruciating, and a whimper squeezed its way from Castiel’s lips even as his Grace began to bleed from his eyes and mouth.

  
Belial grinned at him, his face a mere inch from the angel’s as his eyes rolled to white in a display of triumph. “Leave me to my work, little angel. I’ll come back for you later, with my Lord at my side. If you're lucky I might even return your fledgling to you, limp and cold so I can watch you weep over his corpse before getting the pleasure of killing you myself.”

  
The world was fading before his eyes; he was being forced out…

  
“NO!”

  
A brilliant burst of light flowed from the front of the church, and Castiel’s eyes widened as he saw Gabriel at the center of the wash of brilliance, four wings spread wide around his little body as he floated above the stone table, which had been broken down the center. Belial stared in shock, his hand slipping away from Castiel’s throat.

  
“It’s not possible!”

  
Castiel had only a moment to leap to his feet and throw himself at Dean and Sam, wrapping the shocked Winchesters in his wings before Gabriel’s Grace exploded. The windows of the church shattered into a shower of colored glass and the stone walls shook around them. Castiel ducked his head, and Dean pressed his face against the angel’s chest as he shielded them from the wash of power, Sam leaning against his brother.

  
When it cleared Castiel slowly pulled his wings back, and Dean whistled softly as they looked around the devastated church. Belial was gone, and Gabriel was still hanging in the air above the table, his two pairs of tawny wings trembling faintly.

  
“You won’t…” the child whispered. “I won’t let you hurt my Abba.”

  
Then his wings folded and he fell softly to the ground.

  
Castiel barely restrained the cry that struggled to escape his lips, very nearly flying to Gabriel’s side. He gathered the fledgling against his chest, cradling the suddenly so fragile body and wrapping his wings around Gabriel.

  
“Gabriel… Little one, look at me.” Castiel murmured, cradling the little face in his hand and brushing sweaty red-gold hair away from those tired features. “Please.”

  
The boy’s eyelashes fluttered, his eyes rolling as he struggled to open them. And then he looked up into Castiel’s worried blue eyes and smiled; it was the most beautiful thing that Castiel had ever seen. “Abba…” Gabriel whispered, raising a hand to touch little fingers against Castiel’s cheek.

  
Castiel’s face fell into a picture of relief and he clutched the fledgling tighter against him, burying his face against Gabriel’s shoulder and heaving a huge breath. In return Gabriel pressed his cheek to Castiel’s, purring slightly as his four wings shifted to brush the dark ones that enclosed them in a cocoon of warmth.

  
A strange vibration filled the air and then a voice that came from seemingly everywhere spoke to them. “The lesson has been learned.”

  
Dean looked up, his hand automatically flying to the grip of his gun. Sam tensed as well, looking around for the source of the speech and finding nothing. Then the doors opened and a brilliant, yet soft, light flowed through them. A figure walked towards them, and Dean’s mouth fell open.

  
“Chuck?.!”

  
The shorter man smiled, His sky blue eyes glimmering faintly with something so ancient and alien that Sam felt his knees grow weak. Dean stared at Him, and then swallowed thickly. Chuck simply nodded to them, and then turned to the two angels wrapped around each other beside the altar.

  
“My sons…”

  
Castiel raised his face, his blue eyes widening before he lowered his head, releasing Gabriel in order to turn his full attention to the Lord. “Father.”

  
Instead of reacting like the dark-haired angel, a brilliant smile spread across Gabriel’s face and he leapt to his feet, running to Chuck and wrapping his arms around the man’s waist. Chuck caught him with a smile on His features, placing a hand between the archangel’s tawny wings to return the embrace. Gabriel looked up into the face of the Lord, a beautiful, bright smile on his features. “Daddy! I missed you!”

  
Chuck’s smile warmed. “I missed you as well, Gabriel.” He stroked over the red-gold hair, and then leaned down. “You have regained the bonds that you chose to close off, my son.” He pressed a gentle and lingering kiss to that soft hair. “Be restored.”

  
A soft light began to gather around the archangel, and Chuck stepped back to allow room as Gabriel began to shift and change. Castiel’s eyes glimmered as Gabriel grew, his wings spreading wide behind him. There was a brief flash of many wings, a wash of so many feathers that it was impossible to tell where one wing ended and the other began. Then the light dimmed and Gabriel stood, once again looking like the man that they had known, his wings arched around his body and his eyes closed. The tawny color of his feathers had deepened with his age, and now his great wings shone a dark, rich bronze-gold, powerful and strong.

  
Letting out a long sigh, Gabriel opened his eyes. Ancient knowledge and power shone in those orbs, now more amber than gold. He smiled warmly at his Father, bowing his head slightly. “Thank you, Father. I must admit, it was getting a little cramped in there.”

  
Chuck merely smiled at him, and then turned His eyes to Dean as the man cleared his throat slightly. “You wish to know why I kept Gabriel in the form that I did.”

  
Dean nodded, though he ducked his head slightly. “Yea. It’s just… did you know what Belial was going to do?”

  
“I was aware that Belial was attempting to find a way to release Lucifer once more, but I was not certain as to how he would proceed.” Chuck responded, His gaze traveling between the two Winchester brothers. “However, there was more reason for this transformation than to bring Belial’s plan to light.”

  
Gabriel tilted his head slightly. “’Regained the bonds’ you said. You meant the one with Castiel, didn’t you?”

  
Chuck smiled. “Of course. You became so bitter, my son, when you left Heaven and became the Trickster. It pained me, to see you that way.”

  
“Yea, I suppose I did that.” Gabriel said, his voice soft and slightly bitter. “It was the only way that I could figure out to survive.”

  
“And now you can have what you once had.” Chuck murmured, placing His hand on Gabriel’s shoulder. “Do not close yourself off any longer, Gabriel. You have friends that care for you, and a family that loves you.”

  
Gabriel nodded, turning his gaze to Castiel, who was still watching the pair with wide blue eyes, his wings held low and trembling faintly behind him. The archangel smiled, moving forward to place a hand on Castiel’s cheek, raising the younger angel’s head so their eyes met. “The bond that I had with you was the one that I missed the most.”

  
Castiel blinked. “The bond… with me? What bond was between us before?”

  
“It was so long ago that I’m not surprised you don’t remember it now.” Gabriel replied. “You were still so very young when I left Heaven.”

  
“I do not understand.”

  
Gabriel’s smile warmed, and he reached forward with one wing to trail their feathers against each other. When he spoke, there was a soft rumble beneath his human voice, a sound that made Dean and Sam tremble and the ground beneath their feet shake; just a hint of Gabriel's true Voice. “Castiel… opes vitae mea…”

  
The angel’s eyes widened and pure shock fell across his features. “I know those words…”

  
“My treasure.” Gabriel murmured, his voice soft as golden feathers mixed with black. “You held such a bond with me when I was a fledgling because we already had that connection. You felt that I was yours because you were mine.”

  
Castiel stared for a moment, and then very nearly jumped forward into Gabriel’s arms, burying his face against the shorter angel’s throat, his wings coming down to fold against his back as Gabriel wrapped his bottom right wing around him.

  
Dean and Sam stood quietly staring at the interaction that had just occurred in front of them, and while Sam couldn’t help but miss the child that had become a part of their lives for nearly 2 weeks, he felt warmed to see the obvious love that was in front of him. To see Castiel huddling in the embrace of one who was both his older brother and his father, in a way, was a remarkable thing, especially after the angel had given so much during his time on Earth.

  
Chuck moved forward, laying His hands against both angels’ wings. “My sons, I leave you now.”

  
“Can I say here on Earth, Father?” Gabriel asked, raising his head from where his face had been buried against Castiel’s mop of dark hair. “At least for a while.”

  
“Of course. You may go wherever you wish, Gabriel. It is time for all of us to have a much needed vacation.”

  
Hearing those words from the mouth of God made Dean burst out laughing, and after a moment the others followed his example, their laughter filling the air of the once dark and dank church and once again filling it with life.

 


	6. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this is just the last little tag to the story - thanks so much for all of your support and comments - every little bit of it just made my life brighter. I'm glad that everyone enjoyed it!

Weeks later, it was almost difficult to think of a time when they had traveled without Gabriel. Sam had immediately taken to the archangel just as he had when Gabriel was a child, and the two of them easily developed a strong bond. Dean, however, remained stubborn as always and instead spent most of his time butting heads with Gabriel. Even so, beneath the scathing comments and the angry gestures, there was a tight relationship that couldn’t be broken, and Sam knew that the two of them still cared for each other.

  
The most amazing thing to see was how quickly Castiel seemed to change now that Gabriel was near. He grew more relaxed and human each day, and it wasn’t long before he was laughing and interacting with others easily, completely at home in his human body just as Gabriel was. The archangel watched all this with pride and warmth in his amber eyes, a smile on his face as he saw his fledgling mature.

  
What had been the most hilarious moment, at least to Sam, was watching Gabriel corner Dean not long after the archangel had returned them to the Impala when Chuck had left them in the church. There had been the typical ‘so you’re interested in my brother’ speech, but this was taken a level further by the fact that Gabriel was practically Castiel’s father.

  
“He likes you, so I’m not going to do anything.” Gabriel had said. “But if you so much as think about hurting him, I’ll smite you so hard your great-great-grandmother will feel it.”

  
Sam snorted, and Dean’s lips twitched as he struggled to hold in a smile, while Castiel had turned red where he stood just behind Gabriel.

  
Having Gabriel with them seemed to be better for all of them; the hunts went easier, they found more and learned more, and all of them felt at peace, in a way. They spent their days laughing together as they moved around the country at the job they grudgingly loved, and spent their nights relaxing at hotels they could now afford with Gabriel’s help, Sam surfing the net on his new laptop, Dean caring for their weapons, and the two angels quietly grooming each other’s wings with careful and gentle fingers.

  
Lucifer was in the Cage, monsters roamed the Earth, and they had nothing but each other and the road in front of them.   
Life was good.

  
“So Dean, I was thinking about joining you and Cas for a romp one day, it’s been a hell of a long time for me.”

  
“DAMNIT GABRIEL!”

  
The archangel’s only answer was laughter.


End file.
